91ft bus stop sparks outrage in Exeter

Residents of a street in Exeter have criticized council painters for installing a bus stop which is nearly 100ft long.

Yellow bay markings for buses now take up a 91ft stretch on West Garth Road - enough room to fit three double-deckers.

The move has sparked anger after some locals realized that they are no longer permitted to park outside their homes.

79-year-old Roy Williamson, who lives opposite the stop, complained: "It amazed me how long the bus stop is, you could fit three buses in it. I cannot understand why it needs to be so long. I have never seen a bus stop as long as this before."

Another resident, Gaye Major, added: "The length of this bus stop is ridiculous. My daughter used to park at the top of our drive when she came to visit, but she can't do that now."

Meanwhile, city councillor Percy Prowse backed the complaints, confirming: "Residents are seething. It looks like the contractors who painted the bus stop just got carried away."

However, a spokeswoman for Devon County Council dismissed the speculation, insisting that the length is a result of new guidelines for bus stops.

"The county council is undertaking a program of raising kerbs at bus stops throughout Exeter to help people in wheelchairs, those with disabilities, mobility problems and with pushchairs or luggage, to use the low-floor buses," she explained.

"To do this, the bus needs to pull up at the bus stop and align the doors to the raised kerb. The bus stops are longer to enable the bus to maneuver to the correct position on the kerb."